Índice para 2023-10-23 em Cape Times

ANC National Executive Member (NEC) member Supra Mahumapelo has called on black people in the Western Cape to unite and dethrone the DA in the province in next year’s elections. Mahumapelo was addressing members in attendance during the party’s 2019 manifesto review in Worcester yesterday. The manifesto review aims to demonstrate the party’s commitment to addressing its challenges, service delivery issues, job creation, corruption and crime. It is also a report back on the progress it has made in implementing the party's policy from the last general elections. The party held the first of the Western Cape leg of its 2019 manifesto review in Khayelitsha earlier this month. Mahumapelo said: “The ANC was in power in this province, but something happened among black people and it opened a window for…

THE poor service delivery by the master’s court across the country was laid bare before Parliament with the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) calling on the national legislature to intervene as a matter of urgency. The LSSA appeared before the justice and parliamentary committee on Friday where it listed a litany of problems it experienced with the master’s office. LSSA’s Hussani Goga said the master’s office was not functioning as it should for a number of years and the Covid-19 pandemic and load shedding exacerbated matters. Goga said they had previously attempted to engage with Justice Minister Ronald Lamola, his deputy John Jeffrey, the department and the Office of Chief Justice with a view to find a meaningful solution with little or no success. He cited lack of leadership,…

THE first humanitarian aid convoy allowed into Gaza since war erupted arrived in southern Gaza from Egypt after days of negotiations. The UN said the 20-truck convoy brought life-saving medical supplies and some food. A second convoy of around 19 trucks loaded with medical and food supplies entered the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing yesterday and was being inspected before proceeding into Gaza, sources said. An explosion and ambulance sirens were heard shortly after the second convoy had entered the crossing, witnesses said. The cause and exact location were not immediately clear. According to the UN, the aid entering so far was a fraction of what was needed with food, water, medicines and fuel stocks running out. Deprived of electricity and water, Gazans in the southern town of Khan…

CENSUS? What census? In Sonstraal Heights, Durbanville, in the security complex in which I lived during the time of the Census, between February and May 2022, there was no census. There are many (I think more than 18) such complexes occupied by a few thousand in that area, where I doubt proper Census activities took place. I enquired at the time, but was asked to be patient. It is not known what happened, or rather did not happen elsewhere in the country, but people in Onrus River and Paarl also report not having been counted. Perhaps newspapers should give attention to the matter.…

THE problem in the Middle East is that Palestine, as a free non-aligned democratic state, has yet to be established. Even the leader of the US, Joe Biden, who is firmly behind the destruction of Hamas, agrees on this point. Gaza is a blockaded area controlled by Israel, and the West Bank is being taken back an inch at a time by Jewish Settlers who infringe on “allocated” Palestinian land. This leaves Palestinians up the creek without a paddle, with no place to call home. A free Palestinian State is long overdue, and it rests on the US, UK and other Western European countries to drive this point home.…

DESPITE a successful claim at the CCMA after months of not being paid, former employees of American-based company Virtual Benefit Solutions (VBS) Healthcare Hearing Clinic say they continue to face financial uncertainty as the company has yet to settle the award which was due almost a month ago. The former employees say they are also struggling to get their UI19 forms filled by the employer so they could claim their unemployment benefit from the Department of Labour. A complaint from medical billers Nomampondomise Nhonho and Bulelani Maqhekeza was heard at the CCMA at its Western Cape offices on September 7. They had been working at the company since April last year and said everything went well until they were not paid their salaries in June, followed by July and August,…

A WOMAN will have a chance to state why she should not be held liable for the monies owed to Nedbank for a vehicle purchased by her late brother. Nedbank was denied a summary judgment against Thandi Dlamini in the High Court sitting in Pietermaritzburg, and the court has given Dlamini the chance to defend against the action the banks wish to take. Dlamini argued that she is not in possession of the vehicle - a Hyundai H-1 2.5 CRDI Wagon, which her late brother, Siyabonga Dlamini, bought in 2016 for a principal debt amount of R 1 432 049 and still owed an amount at the time of his death. While her brother’s estate had not been wrapped up yet as an executor had not been appointed after his…

IF THE first casualty of war is the truth, what are the subsequent casualties? Are they morality, humanity, proportionality and justice? No doubt there are a cornucopia of other metrics depending on the context – historical or current – and the very combatants. What about the environmental degradation, the pollution from the ordinance, missiles and other weapons of mass destruction, and the wanton devastation of natural resources, food, water, biodiversity, wildlife and infrastructure? Such are the vagaries of modern warfare. If confined to a narrow strip of land, as in Israel/Palestine, the casus belli defies logic given that it is in the “holy lands” supposedly sacred to the great Abrahamic faiths – Judaism, Christianity and Islam. War is the perfect pushback against achieving the 17 UN Sustainable Development…

China and the Philippines traded accusations over a collision in disputed waters of the South China Sea as Chinese vessels blocked Philippine boats supplying forces there yesterday in the latest of a series of maritime confrontations. The two countries have had numerous run-ins in the South China Sea in recent months, especially near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, part of the Spratly Islands. The Philippines has sent supplies to troops stationed on a rusted World War Two-era transport ship used as an outpost on the shoal, prompting China’s coastguard to repeatedly deploy vessels to block the resupply missions. In the incident early on Sunday, China’s coastguard said there had been a “slight collision” between one of its ships and the Philippine boat while the coastguard was “lawfully” blocking the boat…

A teenage Iranian girl, who fell into a coma earlier this month following an alleged encounter with officers over violating the country’s hijab law, is said to be “brain dead”, Iranian state media reported yesterday. Right groups such as Kurdish-Iranian Hengaw were the first to make Armita Geravand’s hospitalisation public, publishing photos of the 16-year-old girl on social media that showed her unconscious with a respiratory tube and bandage over her head, visibly on life support. Reuters could not verify the pictures. “Follow-ups show Armita’s condition of being brain dead seems certain despite the efforts of the medical staff,” state media reported. Rights advocates fear Armita might face the same fate as Mahsa Amini, whose death in the custody of morality police last year sparked months of nationwide anti-government protests.…

Dakar: UN peacekeepers made an early withdrawal from their camp at Tessalit in northern Mali because their “lives were in danger”, the UN mission said yesterday. Malian troops on Saturday took over the Tessalit camp, the army said, the first handover in the Kidal region where clashes with armed groups have flared recently. The withdrawal of the UN stabilisation mission in Mali (Minusma) after 13 years has ignited fears that fighting will intensify between troops and armed factions for control of the territory. The pullout was completed “in an extremely tense and degraded security context putting in danger the lives of personnel”, Minusma said. | AFP…

LONDON: At least seven people have died as a result of massive flooding caused by Storm Babet in the UK, with several more people still missing, British media said yesterday. Although the worst of the storm has passed, flood warnings remain in place as water levels are still high in a number of the country’s regions, the Independent newspaper reported. It added that the major flooding could last until October 24. Disruptions to UK traffic were expected to continue on rail routes and highways. Last week, the UK weather service declared the highest, red level of danger in Scotland due to the approaching storm. | Sputnik…

Bulls (28) 63 Tries: Cameron Hanekom (2), Stedman Gans (2), Ruan Nortje, Johan Grobbelaar, David Kriel, Akker van der Merwe, Wandisile Simelane; Conversions: Johan Goosen (9) Scarlets (14) 21 Tries: Taine Plumtree (2), Johnny McNicholl; Conversions: Ioan Lloyd (3) Despite Loftus being a sandy patch and the grass breaking up under the pressure of players’ boots, the Bulls pulled off a stunning display of pace and power yesterday in a sunny Pretoria to beat Scarlets quite easily in their United Rugby Championship opener. The home team sealed their bonus-point for four tries after 28 minutes already and turned on the fireworks in the second half to score five more five-pointers for a convincing 63-21 win. Thanks to their pack of forwards dominating from the get-go -…

China’s move on Friday to curb exports of graphite, a key electric vehicle battery material, will only accelerate efforts to develop alternative sources and materials, but that will take time, industry executives and analysts said. China, the world’s largest graphite producer and exporter, will require export permits as of December 1 for some graphite products, including spherical graphite used by carmakers. It refines more than 90% of the world’s graphite into the material used in almost all EV battery anodes, which is the negatively charged portion of a battery. China’s decision may escalate trade disputes globally and spur other countries to prioritise research into alternative sources and materials, industry executives said. “We see China’s move as a potential catalyst to highlight the urgency of improving (US) graphite supply,” said John…

THE EFF wants National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula to testify in the disciplinary hearing of its members charged for breaching the disciplinary code of MPs. At the meeting of the powers and privileges committee, parliamentary legal adviser Andile Tetyana said on Friday the legal teams of Parliament and EFF met earlier this month to prepare for the hearing of MPs charged for disrupting the State of the Nation Address in February. Tyetyna said the EFF legal counsel had indicated an application of an interdict and asked whether Parliament would be calling Mapisa-Nqakula as a witness. “The response from the initiator was that at this stage she doesn’t see the need to call the Speaker as a witness,” Tetyana said, adding that the committee should make a decision whether Mapisa-Nqakula should…

Response in the Occupied Palestinian Territory report has revealed that about 493 000 women and girls have been displaced from their homes in Gaza due to the ongoing conflict. UN Women said that the violence has tragically resulted in a growing number of widows, as an estimated 900 women have become the heads of households following their male partner’s death. UN Women Deputy Executive Director Sarah Hendriks called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid, including food, water, fuel and health supplies. “It is imperative that we ensure immediate access to services for women and girls and ensure the prevention of gender-based violence. As the international community seeks to respond to this crisis, we must also wholeheartedly support and invest in women-led organisations which are at…

THERE are currently 3 265 disciplinary cases still outstanding in the public service, which has seen South African taxpayers spend nearly R70 million in salaries for suspended government workers. This came to light in a response to a Parliamentary question from DA MP Dr Mimmy Gondwe, where Public Service and Administration Minister Noxolo Kiviet said there were currently 427 public servants on suspension with full pay, at least 42 occupying senior positions. The minister noted that the oldest outstanding cases dated back to 2016 with the latest case being from June 2023. Suspensions were across government departments and ranged from 30 days to 1 846 days. In one case, an employee in the Department of Public Service and Administration, who has been on suspension for two years and seven months,…

Fish filling 15g butter 2 shallots, roughly chopped 2 medium carrots, scrubbed and diced 3 celery fingers, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced 5ml ground coriander 2.5ml ground pepper 500ml full cream milk 450g smoked haddock 450g hake fillets Cheese sauce 30g butter 40g cake flour 5ml Dijon mustard 2.5ml fine salt 100g grated cheddar cheese Mash topping 1.2kg potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 30g butter 100ml milk 2.5ml fine salt 15ml chives, chopped To make the fish filling, melt the butter in a deep saucepan. Add the shallots, carrots and celery and fry for a few minutes until softened. Add the garlic, coriander and black pepper. Fry for a further minute. Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to boil. Lower the heat and…

I’VE BEEN scouring the pages of the Cape Times for a couple of weeks now, searching for this story, which I would think poses a significant threat and a huge problem for home owners and apartment owners along the Atlantic coast. Apparently taxi owners, for R100, pick up groups of young party-goers, ply them with liquor on the journey and deliver them, already plastered, to the beaches of Clifton. This happens only at night, when it is difficult to monitor and although the police have been called, they are pretty much unable to cope with the hundreds of young people intent on having a good time, causing mischief and mayhem and generally disturbing the peace. Drugs and alcohol are buried in the sand and accessed only after dark – a…

The search for missing 9-year-old Mbongi Esau from Macassar, who disappeared in a river, continued at the weekend. Mbongi Esau from Smartie Town went missing at about 4.30pm on Thursday after he went for a swim with two friends. Residents rallied behind Mbongi’s family, joining authorities in an extensive search. Some teachers from Marvin Park Primary School, where Mbongi was doing Grade 3 also assisted in the search. According to police spokesperson Malcolm Pojie, resources including police divers, a K9 unit and EMS rescue teams were dispatched. “(The boy) was reported missing by his family early Friday morning after he and friends allegedly went for a swim. “The friends later took members of the police (to) where he allegedly disappeared under the water. It is presumed that he had drowned.…

THE state’s initiative to impose substantial fines, arrests and prosecutions, including imprisonment, for individuals who have falsified their qualifications deserves praise as a significant step towards penalising those involved in alleged fraudulent activities. President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to authorise the implementation of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Amendment Act. Although the bill was passed into law in August 2019, its enforcement was postponed until Ramaphosa officially declared October 13, 2023, as the date it would take effect. The enactment of this bill comes in response to recent incidents where individuals who misrepresented their qualifications were exposed on social media. One such case involved a TikTok sensation known as “Matthew Bongani Lani”, who was publicly exposed for falsely posing as a medical doctor. The Gauteng Department of Health filed a…

Argentinians voted yesterday in a presidential election dominated by fury over decades of economic decline and record inflation that has propelled libertarian outsider Javier Milei to the front of a tight race. Once one of the richest countries in the world, Argentina has found itself unable to escape decades of fiscal crises marked by debt, financial mismanagement, and inflation that now stands at almost 140% year-on-year. Many voters said they were gripped by fear and anxiety over what the election would bring as they chose between frontrunners Milei, Economy Minister Sergio Massa, and former security minister Patricia Bullrich. With 40% of the population living in poverty and a middle class brought to its knees, many voters are keen to see the back of the traditional parties they view as the…

PARIS: Two years after escaping her father’s guardianship, Britney Spears recounts her years as a superstar who became a victim of her success in a highly anticipated memoir being published tomorrow. One revelation from The Woman in Me is Spears saying she felt pressured into having an abortion while dating fellow popstar Justin Timberlake between 1999 and 2002. “If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it,” she writes. The publishers have kept a tight lid on most of the contents. Simon & Schuster reportedly paid more than $15 million (R275m)for the rights. The book is already topping the pre-sale chart at Amazon US. It is being released in 20 countries and 10 languages. “Reliving everything has been exciting, heart-wrenching, and emotional,” Spears said.…

PARIS: France, already on its highest security alert, is to boost security at airports around the capital and on trains after a wave of bomb hoaxes, the transport minister said yesterday. Security patrols at Paris airports will be increased by 40% and staff at the national railway company SNCF will be reinforced by 20% in addition to extra police patrolling railway stations, minister Clement Beaune said on France Inter. France has been on its highest alert since October 13 after a 20-year-old man fatally stabbed a teacher in the city of Arras in northern France. Alongside the heightened risk, there were “people who are playing with fear”, he said, referring to the wave of fake bomb alerts. | Reuters…

Brussels: The Islamist gunman who shot dead two Swedish football fans in Brussels last weekend had escaped from a Tunisia prison where he was serving a long sentence, which prompted Tunisian officials to seek his extradition from Belgium, prosecutors said yesterday. Belgian received the extradition request in August last year but it was not dealt with. Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne resigned last week over what he called a “monumental error”. The attacker, 45-year-old Abdesalem Lassoued, had been sentenced “to more than 26 years in prison in Tunisia in 2005, but had escaped from prison in January 2011”, the prosecutor said. | AFP…

Aston Villa climbed to within two points of the Premier League lead as Douglas Luiz struck twice in a 4-1 win over West Ham ]yesterday. Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey were also on target as Unai Emery's men recorded an 11th consecutive home Premier League win. Villa have been transformed in just over a year since Emery took charge and showed why they harbour ambitions to qualify for the Champions League for the first time this season. Luiz is just one of a number of players that are performing at a different level under the Spaniard and continued his scoring streak at Villa Park. The Brazilian became the first Villa player to score in six consecutive home Premier League games when his strike from the edge of the box had…

ADCOCK Ingram, one of South Africa’s top five companies in the private and public sector pharmaceutical markets, was able to adapt to changing market dynamics and affordable brands would continue to be sought to add to the company’s range, chairperson Nompumelelo Madisa and CEO Andrew Hall said. The annual report released on Friday said that in the consumer division, the heritage brands would be used to leverage new launches within the portfolio. A focus was on reducing the above normal cost increases from suppliers to ensure sustainable profitability. Opportunities would also be sought to close gaps in the portfolios in areas the company doesn’t compete in. New channels, markets and adjacent categories would be targeted. Brand-led initiatives such as the Island Tribe solar programme were expected to contribute toward the…

and temperature (155 bar and 300ºC). The process required numerous tests of the safety systems, with more tests still to be performed before and after the start-up of the nuclear reaction. The completion of the commissioning tests will end a long but safe steam generator replacement journey and signal the return of Unit 1 to commercial operation.” Energy activist and a member of the Koeberg Alert Alliance, Peter Becker, said now was the time that Eskom should keep Unit 2 online, apart from refuelling, until there is the new capacity to replace it. “It has become very hard to take the time estimates coming from Koeberg seriously. Initially the work in preparation for a 20-year life extension work was to take five months per unit. Currently we are on 18…

Nation on a high after two famous victories against arch foe SOUTH Africans go into this week in high spirits after the Springboks and the Proteas dealt England a double dose of defeat in the rugby and cricket World Cups at the weekend. The country will be gripped with rugby fever this week as the Boks prepare to play their Old Enemy, New Zealand in Saturday’s final in Paris. The cricketers still have some way to go in their World Cup in India but given the ruthlessness with which they annihilated a very strong England team, it is not inconceivable that South Africa will have double world champions before long. While the cricketers cruised home in their 50-over match, the Springboks had to claw their way out of a deep…

THE explosion at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza has been tragic. I have no idea who or what caused the explosion. The world's press and TV stations have largely put the blame on Israel, as has most of the world. I have always thought that such newspapers and TV stations should be reasonably neutral until evidence is produced that indicates responsibility. The BBC TV usually presents level-headed news broadcasts. However, at present, it blames Israel for the tragedy based solely on the claims of one so-called “eyewitness". The disputed cause of the explosion and with the biased blame game in full swing, reminds me of the Nazi Joseph Goebbels and his very successful theory: "If a lie is repeated often enough, it becomes the truth." The Nazis…

I AM not Jewish and I feel that both Israel and Palestine have contributed to the horrific situation that now exists in Gaza. However, I think the Cape Times is terribly biased in favour of Palestine/Hamas when it comes to reporting on what is happening on the ground. In virtually every newspaper over the past week there have been vivid pictures of what Israel is doing to Palestine/Gaza and how the people, mainly civilian women and children, are suffering at the hands of the Israelis. There is nothing, either pictorial or otherwise, about what damage and mayhem Hamas are inflicting on civilian Israelis. War is not a pretty thing and this particular war is affecting both the East and West. Countries’ economies are crumbling under the shortage of petroleum products,…

NOTING that the media landscape is not fully transformed, while emphasising its integral role to uphold democracy, the Competition Commission is turning its attention to the industry to scrutinise the distribution of media content on South African digital platforms and the advertising technology (Adtech) markets that link buyers and sellers of digital advertising inventory. According to the Commission, the inquiry launched last week stems from concerns that there may exist market features in digital platforms that distribute news media content that might “restrict, distort, or impede competition, with potential adverse effects on South Africa's news media sector”. The Media and Digital Platforms Market Inquiry (“MDPMI”) will be led by James Hodge, chief economist and acting deputy commissioner, with Paula Fray, veteran South African media practitioner serving as a panel member.…

MOTORISTS have been warned to exercise caution after heavy rains lashed parts of the Garden Route leading to several road closures at the weekend. The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) said teams were out clearing fallen trees and debris from roads yesterday. The municipality said the N2 towards Kaaimans Pass was reopened following a temporary closure after a mud slide in the area. “The N2 at Kaaimans Pass was cleared for traffic yesterday after a mudslide. The George Fire Brigade and other departments from the municipality had to use chainsaws to remove earth, rock and other debris from the road to make it accessible for traffic. Follow-up cleaning of the area is ongoing. “Heavy rain conditions impacted roads throughout George and surrounds. Motorists are warned to travel with caution and…

THE “Golden Week” is the People's Republic of China's most extended holiday. Every year the Chinese celebrate the establishment of the People’s Republic of China on 1 October 1949. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival fell on 29 September which combined with the National Day Golden Week for a long, 8-day holiday from September 29 to October 6. Traditionally, Chinese people use the week-long holiday to travel for leisure and visit their families in other parts of China resulting in the world’s largest migration in the year. This year was no exception as a total of 826 million trips were made in mainland China during the Golden Week. This was 4.1% more than the Golden Week in 2019 before the pandemic, according to data released by the Ministry of Culture and…

Fears that the Israel-Hamas war could mushroom into wider Middle East conflict rose yesterday with Washington warning of a significant risk to US interests in the region as ally Israel pounded Gaza and clashes on its border with Lebanon intensified. Gaza’s Health Ministry said 266 Palestinians, including 117 children, had been killed by Israeli air strikes in the past 24 hours in the enclave, to which Israel laid “total siege” after a deadly mass infiltration into Israel by Hamas gunmen on October 7. In neighbouring Syria – where Hamas’s main regional backer Iran has a military presence – Israeli missiles hit Damascus and Aleppo international airports yesterday, killing two workers, Syrian state media said. Along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, the Iran-backed Hezbollah group has clashed with Israeli forces in…

More than 1 200 African migrants have reached Spain’s Canary Islands, with one vessel bringing a single-boat record of 321 people, authorities have said. A total of 1 235 migrants reached the Spanish islands off the western African coast between Friday night and yesterday morning, the authorities said on X, which added to a recent spike in arrivals. An emergency services spokesperson said all the arrivals were from sub-Saharan Africa. On Saturday, 321 people reached the island of El Hierro aboard one vessel, a rescue services spokesperson told AFP, surpassing the previous record for a single boat of 280, on October 3. Spanish broadcaster TVE showed images of a multi-coloured vessel crammed with smiling and waving passengers reaching port. Latest data from Spain’s interior ministry showed 23 537 migrants reached…

Vatican City: Pope Francis pleaded yesterday for an end to the Hamas-Israeli conflict amid fears it could widen, and called for more humanitarian aid to be allowed into the Gaza Strip. “War is always a defeat, it is a destruction of human fraternity. Brothers, stop! Stop!” Francis said after his traditional Angelus prayer in Rome’s Saint Peter’s Square. “I renew my call for spaces to be opened, for humanitarian aid to continue to arrive and for hostages to be freed,” he said. | AFP…

CAPE CANAVERAL: Nasa has launched a mission to explore an asteroid that could make every human on Earth a billionaire. The US space agency confirmed last year that it was planning to explore asteroid 16 Psyche –comprised of metals similar to those in the core of Earth, such as iron, nickel and gold. Between 30% and 60% of 16 Psyche’s overall volume is thought to be made up of metal and has an estimated worth of £8 000 quadrillion. This dwarfs the current global economy of approximately $74 trillion. Nasa’s mission successfully launched last week and is aiming to survey the 140-mile-wide asteroid that orbits the sun. | Bang Showbiz…

After successive Cup failures in domestic competition, PSL giants Mamelodi Sundowns rose like a colossus in Angola to claim a convincing win in their opening African Football League fixture. Sundowns entered the AFL quarter-final first-leg clash in Luanda on Saturday on the back of defeats to TS Galaxy (Carling Knockout last 16) and Orlando Pirates (MTN8 final) after failing in penalty shoot-outs. On Saturday, Sundowns ran out 2-0 winners against Petro de Luanda, but coach Rulani Mokwena, in his post-match conference, played down his team’s advantage ahead of tomorrow’s second leg at Loftus. Mokwena assured the media that the scoreline did not guarantee his team a place in the semi-finals. “No, we are not in the semi-finals. You have seen many things happen in football. You have seen teams come…